Heritage
Hall is the headquarters of the Morgan County
Historical Society. A sophisticated example of Greek Revival
architecture built in 1811 by Dr. Elijah Jones, it is authentically
decorated and open for tours.
Madison was one of the few towns in east central Georgia that was not destroyed by General Sherman in his 1864 "March to the Sea" that broke the back of the Confederacy. It was spared because it was the home of pro-Union Georgia Senator Joshua Hill. Because of that act of mercy, Madison contains one of the largest collections of antebellum structures in the South.
The
Morgan County Courthouse was built in 1905 in the Beaux Arts style and
sits in an unusual location just off one corner of the town square.
Madison has been called "one of the ten most beautiful towns in the Southern states" by The Culture Trip, and even "one of the sixteen most beautiful towns in the world" by Budget Travel Magazine. Travel Holiday Magazine named it the "#1 small town in America." Those praises are nothing new. Madison was described more than 170 years ago in the 1845 Guide to Georgia as the "most cultured and aristocratic town on the stagecoach route from Charlestown to New Orleans."
So with those accolades to whet your appetite, pick up a self-guided tour brochure at the Historic Madison Welcome Center on the town square and go for a walkabout.
Although Madison's population is only about 4,500, the town seems larger. Incorporated in 1809 and named after President James Madison, the historic district is one of the largest in Georgia, with nearly a hundred antebellum (pre-Civil War) homes. As you might image, tourism is the city's main industry.
However, Madison is small enough to be an easy place to navigate on foot, and with enough interesting things to see to make it worth your while. Here are some buildings I liked. 
The Rogers House was built on one of the original town lots.
Just down the street from the courthouse is the Plantation Plain-style Rogers House, at 179 East Jefferson. Built around 1810, it is one of the oldest houses in Madison. It is open daily for tours. Next door is Rose Cottage, the home of former slave Adeline Rose.
The First Baptist Church was erected in 1858, using bricks made by slaves on the plantation of John Byrne Walker. It looks surprisingly modern, even today.
Just down the block is the Presbyterian Church, built in 1842. The design is Old English, with Tiffany stained glass windows. In 1866, Ellen Axson, the pastor's daughter, married Woodrow Wilson, who would later become the 28th president of the United States.
The Episcopal Church of the Advent was built by Methodists.
The Gothic Revival Church of the Advent at 338 Academy Street was built circa 1842 by a Methodist congregation, but was sold to the Episcopalians in 1960. The original slave gallery has been converted to an organ loft.
The Stagecoach House is a residence these days.
The Stagecoach House, at 549 Old Post Road, was built circa 1810, at about the same time as the Rogers House. It was an inn and stagecoach stop when the Old Post Road was part of the route between Charleston and New Orleans.
About the photos: All photos in this post were made with a Canon 6D digital camera and the Canon 28-105mm EF lens or the EF 17-35mm f2.8L.
This post was adapted from my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia.
Blog Note: Posting has been a bit erratic this week. Sorry. Sometimes, as I say, life does get in the way.
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Photography and text copyright 2016-2025 David B.Jenkins.
I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.
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